Hop and leaf separator



June 14, 1949. A. E. OSLUND HOP AND LEAF SEPARATOR 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1Filed Sept. 27, 1945 INVENTOR.

'AXEL ,E. OSLUND ATTEI RN EYS June 14, 1949- A. E. OSLUND 2,473,215

HOP-AND LEAF SEPARATOR Filed Sept. 27, 1945 Z She'etS-She et 2 INVENTOR.

AXE-L E. OSLUND ATTD R N EYE Patented June 14, 1949 UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE 2,473,215 nor AND LEAF SEPARATOR Axel E. Oslund, SantaRosa, Calif. Application September 27, 1945, Serial No. 618,827 3Claims. (01. 209-45) The invention relates to a cleaning or recleaningapparatus, and more especially to hops sorting machine.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a machine ofthis character, wherein hops picked from a field thereof, which pickingmust be done in the shortest possible time, due to the quick ripeningthereof, as at this stage the blossoms become light, shed their petalsand break up from rough handling, can be automatically cleaned, withoutloss of the seeds and lupulin, these being the valuable parts of theblossoms, and are relieved of leaves and other worthless matter, in asingle operation of the machine.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a machine of thischaracter, wherein the loose petals of the blossoms will be recoveredand the leaves and other waste substances will be separated therefrom,so that hops cleaned of the latter can be collected from the saidmachine in this cleaned condition with dispatch.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine of thischaracter, wherein major loss of the blooms of the hop plants, after thepicking of such blossoms thereof, can be eliminated, and a thoroughcleaning assured in the operation of the machine.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a machine ofthis character, which :is simple in construction, thoroughly reliableand :eflicient in operation, automatic in the working thereof, strong,durable, readily and easily handled, assuring a cleaning operation withdispatch, possessed of few parts, conveniently adjusted, susceptible ofconvenient inspection, inexpensive to manufacture, and inexpensive toinstall.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanydrawings, which show the preferred embodiment of the invention, andpointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the machine constructed in accordance withthe invention, and partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is an end elevation, looking toward the machine atsubstantially right angles to that position thereof in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is'a view similar to Figure 3 looking towardthe reverse endthereof.

v Similar reference p characters indicate corre- 5 5 2 sponding partsthroughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the machine constituting thepresent invention, comprises a pair of spaced base beams or rails iii,which are adapted to be supported on a level foundation or othersub-structure, and above these beams or rails are tilting bars I I, eachbeing connected thereto by hinges 12, to be acted upon by raising andlowering jacks l3, for the tilting of such bars at a sloping angle tothe lay of the beams or rails.

Rising from the bars II are rigid prop legs l4, carrying a bed frame l5having the spaced parallel sills It provided with bearings 11, for crossaxles l8 fitted with wheels [9 and 29, respectively, the latter beingformed with peripheral flanges 2! and such flanged wheels are disposedon the low side of the machine. Contacting with the wheels I9 and arethe ring-like end members 22 of a rotary cylindrical drum 23, itscylindrical body being made from wire-mesh fabric functioning as ascreen, the end member 22 next to the low side of the machine beingengaged by the flanges of the wheels 20, so that this drum will nottravel off of all the wheels [9 and 20 in its rotary movement.

Located in confronting relation exteriorly to the drum 23, and inclinedslightly in its direction, is an outwardly tapered suction funnel 24,which at its open contracted or small end 25 has centrally locatedtherein a bladed rotary suction fan 26, its rotation being had from anysuitable power source and in any approved manner. The inner larger openend 21 of this funnel 24 is arranged close to the drum 23, the fan 26being disposed and driven in a direction to cause a vacuum inside thesaid funnel and an airflow therethrough. Any conventional fan, blower orair motor may be used for this purpose. The direction and speed ofairflow inside the funnel 24 is controlled by stationary bafiies 21,together with adjustable baffles 28, these bafiies being extended thefull width of the funnel, excepting that the adjustable baffles 28 areshort enough to move freely. The adjustable baffles 28 are operatedoutside of the funnel 24, and may be held in any desired position by theadjustable latch handles 29, operating in keeper quadrants 30 therefor.

The funnel 24 is mounted on an adjustable rack 3|, attached to the sills[6, the adjustment being had at 32, so as to properly set the funnelwith relation to the drum, as will clearly appear in Figure 1 of thedrawings.

Extended Within the drum 23 above its rotary axis and close to its meshbody is a conveyor 3 trough 33, or any other form of convenientreceptacle, so that on rotation of the drum the leaves sucked againstthe inside of the screen body are held there While being carried up tothis trough, where having passed the suction zone of the funnel, theywill drop off into the trough to be carried away or otherwise disposedof. The hops are deposited within the drum through either openend'thereof and the deposit with the leaves are carriedin a directionfor the collection of the leaves as before stated, and the hops throughgravity and weight will start rolling back before they reach the trough,and thus will find their way to the lowermost area of the drum wherethey will fall out of the latter vtobe caught into a receiver, notshown, for the recovery'thereof in a cleaned condition.

Driving power is delivered to the drum 23 through a suitable belt-pulley34 associated with the axle for the wheels 20.

As the area of the screen'coveredb'y the leaves in front of the funnelvaries, so doesthedegree of "suction or 'vacuum inside of the funneltend to fluctuate, and-to keep the'degreebfvacuum or suction constant, avent on each side of-the funnel 24 is provided, as at 35. This vent"35'is controlled by a hinged door or damper--36, which is automaticallyoperated in'conjunction with a spring 3?, in that it can be seenwhen'the'air pressure inside of the funnel'becomes less than on theoutside thereof the door or damper will tend to open inwardly of thesaid funneLan'd thus maintain the suction or vacuum constant within thelatter. The tensionof the spring 31,

as well as the position of the funnel?! in relation to the drum 23, theposition of "the baffles andthe slope of the machine, are adjustable, soasto reach the best operating results obtainable.

The shape of the funnel and-the shape of the ballies inside of thelatter may vary for different reasons, as for instance, the sizeandpapacity of the operation o'fwhich the machine is calle'd upon toexecute.

'What is claimed is:

1. In a hop cleaning machine, the'comb'in'ation which comprises acylindrical wir'e'mes'h drum withopen ends and havingringlikemembersonthe ends-spaced rollers upon" which the said'ringlike members arepositioned, shafts rotatably mounting the rollers whereby "the drumbeing carried by the rollers is'rotated 'uponrotati'on'of the rollers,said rollers mounted to support =the drum with the axis thereofinclined, a funnellilre housing having a largeand a smallend with thelarge end arcuate in section to receive the said cylindricaldrum, anexhaust fanpositioned in the outer small endof thehousin'g for-drawingair from the interior of the "drum through the wire mesh thereof wherebymaterials in th'edrnm areheld in suspension against the inner surface ofthe'wire mesh thereof, stationary-converging baffles positioned in thehousing anddnthe path of the exhauster, adjustable 'baiiies pivotallymounted in the housing and positioned tocoact with the said convergingbaflies, means adjusting the positions of the said adjustable baffles,and converging means in the "saidwire mesh drum for receiving materialswhen releasedfromtl re inner surface of the cylindrical drum.

2. In a hop cleaning machine, the combination which comprises acylindrical wire mesh drum with open .en'ds and havingling-like memberson the ends, spaced rollers upon which the saidringlike members arepositioned, means rotatably mounting the rollers whereby the drum beingair from t the-interior :of the {drum through the wire mesh thereofwhereby materials in the drum are held in suspension against the innersurface of the wire mesh thereof as the drum passes the larg-eend(if-the said funnel like housing, stationary bailiespositioned inconverging relation in the funnellike housing and in the path of theexhaust famadjustin'g baffles hinged to the edges of the stationarybafiles, and means adjusting the positions of the said adjustingbaffies, to restrict the flow of air throughthe funnellike housing.

3. 'In a hop cleaning machine,- the combination which comprises acylindrical wire mesh "drum with open ends and having ring-likemembers'on the ends spaced rollers upon'which the said'ringlike membersare positioned, means rotatably mounting the rollers whereby the drumbeing carried by the rollers throug'hthe ring-like members "is rotatedupon "rotation of the rollers, said rollers mounted to supportthe "drumwiththe axis'thereof in an inclined position,'-afunnllike housing havingan enlarged-end and 'a'small end with the large end arcua'te inelevation 'for'receiving the outer surface of the said cylindrical drum,and an--exhaust *ran positioned in the outer small end of thefunnel likehousingfordrawing air from the interior of the drum through the wiremeshthereof whereby materials'in the-drum are held in'susp'ensionagainst the'inne'i 'surface of the wire mesh-thereof as thedrum passesthe large end of thesaidfunnel likehousing-stationary bafiles positionedin converging relation in the funnel like housing and inthe path "of theexhaust fan.-adjusting bafileshinged to the=edges of the stationarybafiieaanintermediate transversely positioned stationary baiiie betweenthe former stationary baffles, resiliently held doors held in the sidesof the funnel like housing 'for relieving air pressure therein, and alongitudinally disposed chute positioned'in the-upper part of the wiremesh drum for -'-receiving particles dropping from the inner surface "ofthe drum as the surface thereof passes the saidfunnl like housing.

*AXEL OSLUND.

IREFERENCES orrnn The following referemcesare of record in ,the file ofthis patent:

UNITED :STATES PATENTS Number Name ""Date 458,511 Whitmore "Aug.25,"l891 1,364,222 Vaudrevil Elan. .4, 1921 1,518,021 Waterman De'c.2,"1924 1,570,295 Bailey 'Ma'y"'22, 1928 1,824,915 Mitchell Sept. 29, 19311,837,836 Powell "Dec. '22, 1931 1,945,771 Dahlstrom et a1. F'eb. 6,1934I 2,134,216 "Sutter Oct. 25, '1938 2,138,529 'Thys "Nov. 29, .19382,302,112 -Eddy et a1 NOV. 17,'T1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number ountry Date3 1,403 "Austria an. 10,- liiil8

